Bali in 10 Days: The Pocket Guide

Bali is a tropical paradise!
You’ll jump right away into an incredible vibe and feeling of freedom.
With its perfect white sand beaches, world reputed surf spots, a sea life offering majestic diving experience and incredible landscapes, the island is a must if you are seeking some easygoing adventures…

Population: 4,2 MillionMain Languages: Balinese / the majority of people speak good English.
Currency: The Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Cash is King on the island, you’ll find ATM’s all around.Getting around: The best way is to rent a scooter (make sure to carry an international driving licence), you can also Uber/Taxi.Internet: Wifi is pretty good and available almost everywhere (hostels/hotels, bars, restaurants…).Best time to go: Bali has a tropical, warm and humid climate all year long. The rainy season is from December until February and the busiest season is July/August.
So I would say the best is anywhere outside these periods.Safety: Bali is a safe place, just casual awareness for pickpockets.

I spent 10 amazing days, travelling around the island and Gili Trawangan, experiencing some of what Bali has best to offer!

Here is the “10 Days Bali Travel Guide”.

Kuta

Kuta, Bali.

Overcrowded, ultra-touristic and noisy, Kuta is definitely not the place you want to spend time in.
That’s an easy option for the first day of arrival, as it is located close to the airport, but it is not the Bali you came for.
Kuta is basically the “City” of Bali, you’ll find a lot of shops, restaurants, bars & clubs.
It’s nice to quickly walk through but I would recommend getting out fast and explore further the real Bali.

Stay:
1 night if it’s convenient for your flight. A couple of hours if only during the day.

Tips:– Walk along the seaside, full of restaurants.
– Nice markets and shopping streets, but overall everything is more expensive than the rest of Bali.

– Rent a scooter to get around Ubud. You will find plenty of rental places, make sure to check the scooter properly and take photos of any damages it can have to avoid them charging you for it.

– Sunrise Hike at Mt Batur:
Mt Batur is located a couple of hours drive from Ubud but it’s a good starting point if you don’t want to waste to much time.
You can find multiple travel & activity desks around Ubud to organise your hike.
I recommend getting fairs from different companies, negotiate and get all the information. Usually, the tour includes the Sunrise Hike of Mt Batur, pick up & return at the hotel, coffee tasting and, eventually, some rice terrasse but don’t set too many expectations on these ones, focus on the hike.
A car picks you up at your hotel around 3.00am and drives you to the Mt Batur where you will have a guide, torches and a meal. You will then start climbing and make it to the top in time to admire the amazing sunrise over Bali.

Uluwatu

Uluwatu – Way to go!

Welcome to one of the world’s most famous surf spot on the planet!
Uluwatu is all about surfing. Shirtless, barefoot, surfboard on the side of the scooter, that’s the way to go in here.

My Favourites:– Surfing!!
Whether you are beginner or expert, that’s definitely a must-do in Uluwatu.
You’ll find surf shops all along to get some equipment.
Some of the surf spots are Padang Padang, Dreamland, Bingin… have fun!

– Single Fin
That’s the place to be. A majestic tropical spot to blow up your Instagram (don’t forget to follow me on Instagram).
Single Fin is a super hype bar/restaurant overlooking the magnificent waves of Uluwatu.
Dj session every Sunday.
Just check it out ==> Single Fin

Tips:– Rent a scooter to get around.
You will a few rental places, they are really chilled, don’t forget to negotiate the rate.

– Try out the food places along the road leading to Padang Padang, there are some really good ones.

Gili Islands

Sea Turtle – Gili Islands.

The Gili Islands are a group of 3 tiny islands located between Bali and Lombok.
Gili Trawangan (the biggest), Gili Meno and Gili Air.
I only went to Gili Trawangan, Meno and Air are reputed quieter.Gili Trawangan is a tropical village where people are cycling around, enjoying sunsets on beach bars giant pillows, exploring underwaters and experiencing local food.

Stay: I recommend spending 3/4 days.
==> Guest House / Hostels / Hotels
I stayed at The Paradesa Villa, amazing bungalows with aircon, swimming pool, excellent breakfast and you can rent out bicycles from there. Highly recommend it 🙂

Getting there:
There are multiple ferry companies that offer you to get there. They have different prices which are mainly due to the boat and the service they are providing (timetable, luggage carried out…).

Don’t let yourself discouraged by the comments you can find online about these companies. Let’s say that the most expensive have good departure time, will carry your luggage and offer you a drink and the cheapest may be delayed, you will carry your backpack and no drinks, but eventually, they’ll all take you there.
Make sure to compare the fairs from a couple of agencies or street desks and negotiate.
Then, make sure you have the right meeting time and location and be there. It’s a bit of a mess as there are many boats leaving from the same place, so be on top of it.
I personally chose an expensive one to go there (Gili Getaway) and a cheap one to come back to Bali. Got my tickets for the cheap one from a street desk at Gili and everything went smoothly, the boat was on time and we had music while tanning on the roof.

My Favourites:– Definitelydiving!! “See Diving in Gili’s article”.Awesome sealife, you’ll get to see manta rays, sea turtles, all kind of fishes and if you’re lucky Sharks!
If diving is not your thing, get yourself equipment for snorkelling (you can also rent it) and you’ll easily meet up with some magnificent sea turtles.

– Beach bar sunset.
Get yourself a nice exotic cocktail and enjoy the sunset from a long chair on the beach or a floating pillow on the water.
There is also the famous Swing for the Insta sunset crush!!

– Cycle around the island.
Gili Trawangan is a small island, no cars so the best way to get around is by bike. Get yourself one and explore that piece of paradise.

– Enjoy the food market!
Every evening, there is an absolutely amazing food market on the main street. It’s fresh, it’s local, it’s cheap, it’s fantastic and you don’t want to miss this.